Web-based asset management

ABSTRACT

The method and system of the present invention provides an improved technique for replacing, implementing and managing computer-related assets. A technician accesses the World Wide Web through a user&#39;s computer. The information resident on the computer, including information regarding the computer and the user&#39;s preferences, are downloaded to a remote storage medium through the World Wide Web. Once downloaded, all information may be removed from the user&#39;s computer. Subsequently, the technician accesses another computer such as, for example, a new computer that has been assigned to the same user. The technician accesses the World Wide Web through the new computer and downloads the information previously stored on the remote storage medium. This information can then be used to install the user&#39;s prior applications, settings and preferences on the new computer.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, claims priority to, andincorporates by reference in its entirety, co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/723,327, filed Mar. 12, 2010. This applicationis also a continuation of, claims priority to, and incorporates byreference in its entirety, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/464,176,filed Jun. 18, 2003. This application is also a continuation of, claimspriority to, and incorporates by reference in its entirety, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/321,115, filed Dec. 17, 2002, which is now U.S.Pat. No. 6,636,857, granted Oct. 21, 2003. Further, this applicationclaims priority to and incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/342,031 filed on Dec. 18, 2001 entitled “Method andSystem for Deploying, Tracking and Managing Technology-RelatedResources”.

BACKGROUND

Computer-related technology is advancing at a remarkable rate. Newtechnologies are being introduced daily that add new functionality orfeatures to pre-existing technology. As these new technologies areintroduced, the prices of devices that incorporate those technologiesdrop. As prices drop, more and more users are upgrading systems andadding new devices. Consequently, sales of computer-related devices arecurrently at an all-time high.

This trend most heavily impacts corporations with large investments incomputer-related assets. However, the decision to upgrade to a newsystem is often only the beginning of the process. Once a new system hasbeen selected and funds have been allocated for the acquisition, thequestions remains of how best to replace, implement and manage the newassets. A poor or improper implementation can be extremely costly anddisrupt an entire organization. Moreover, there is a strong trend in theindustry currently towards paying fees for asset management on a perasset per month basis. Legacy systems are poorly equipped to accommodatesuch pricing models. A need exists, therefore, for an improved systemand method for replacing, implementing and managing computer-relatedassets.

Existing systems and methods exist for replacing old computer-relatedassets. Typically, a computer technician would access the existing assetand make either handwritten notes of the user's setting and preferencesor input the information into a computer and save it to a diskette. Thetechnician would then download the information on the device's driveonto a portable medium. This process can take a considerable amount oftime, is prone to technician error and results in a high labor cost dueto the higher rates paid to computer technicians over general officelaborers.

Existing methods are further limited because the information that iscollected is not collected in such a manner that it can be compiled,managed and updated in the future. Under existing methods, once thecomputer technician re-installs the information on a new machine, hedestroys any records that he may have kept relating, for example, to thespecific versions of software installed, the serial number of thecomputer on which it was installed or the date of installation and, ifthe information is saved, it is usually not accessible in an organized,easily-accessible manner. Consequently, when the new machine is ready tobe upgraded, relocated or decommissioned, the computer technician muststart anew to gather information about it and the user's settings andpreferences.

There is a need, therefore, for an improved method and system forreplacing, implementing and managing computer-related assets.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments provide a method and system for replacing,implementing and managing computer-related assets. Embodiments provide amethod of asset management in which a technician accesses the World WideWeb through a user's computer. The information resident on the computer,including information regarding the computer and the user's preferences,is downloaded to a remote storage medium through the World Wide Web.Once the information is downloaded, all information may be removed fromthe user's computer. Subsequently, the technician accesses anothercomputer such as, for example, a new computer that has been assigned tothe same user. The technician accesses the World Wide Web through thenew computer and downloads the information previously stored on theremote storage medium. This information can then be used to install theuser's prior applications, settings and preferences on the new computer.

Embodiments provide a method for asset management in which informationthat is downloaded from a user's computer at the time that a computer isinstalled or relocated is retained in a centralized database.Thereafter, the information can be accessed, modified and updatedthroughout the life of the computer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed embodiments will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of theinvention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof byreference, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a typical asset deployment workflow process;

FIG. 2 is a workflow diagram showing the preferred method for assetmanagement according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a system diagram showing the preferred system for assetmanagement;

FIG. 4 is a typical screen display used in the preferred method forasset management showing how a technician is prompted for locationinformation;

FIG. 5 is a typical screen display used in the preferred method forasset management showing how a technician is prompted for userinformation;

FIG. 6 is a typical screen display used in the preferred method forasset management showing how a technician is prompted for legacy assetinformation;

FIG. 7 is a typical screen display used in the preferred method forasset management showing how a technician is prompted for applicationinformation; and

FIG. 8 is a typical screen display used in the preferred method forasset management showing how a technician is prompted for new assetinformation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will bedescribed with particular reference to the present embodiments. However,it should be understood that these embodiments provide only a fewexamples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachingsherein. In general, statements made in the specification of the presentapplication do not necessarily delimit any of the various claimedembodiments. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventivefeatures, but not to others.

A typical asset deployment work flow is illustrated in FIG. 1.Typically, a technician would begin by accessing the originalcomputer-related hardware device. He would download all data to portablemedia 101. For example, the technician may download all data to aCD-ROM, tape drive or another attached portable hard drive. Thereafter,the technician would perform a visual inspection of the device andrecord information concerning the device 102 obtained, including suchinformation as the software applications installed on the machine, theserial number of the machine, the hardware attached to the machine, andother information concerning the type and nature of the user'sequipment. The technician will next record user preferences and settings103. This information may include the user's bookmarks, recordedpasswords, and other information specific to the individual user. Oncethe information has been obtained and recorded, the technician willproceed to erase all data on the device 104. The original device is thenready for disposition.

Either the same or a new technician will be responsible for installingthe user's information on a new device. Once again referring to FIG. 1,the technician will begin by installing the information on the devicefrom the portable media 110. Once the information has been installed,the technician will proceed to update the user's settings andpreferences 111. The technician will then inspect the device todetermine identifying information 112 such as the device's serial numberand the software installed. Thereafter, the technician will create amanual report 113 of all activities related to the user's devices. Theprocess undertaken by the technician is cumbersome due to the slowspeeds at which data is transferred from the device to the portablemedia. In addition, the process is costly because an experiencedcomputer technician is needed to transfer the files and update theuser's settings and preferences. Moreover, there is a risk that theinformation stored on the portable media may be lost while beingtransported.

A method for asset management is shown in FIG. 2. The work flow is ahighly generalized overview of non-industry specific deployment and doesnot take into account such activities as future asset management,integration of disparate systems, data assimilation and the like, all ofwhich may be performed as part of this invention. The method commenceswhen a technician accesses the World Wide Web 201 through the user'scomputer-related hardware device such as a desktop computer, laptopcomputer, hand-held computer, printer, scanner, networking device orstorage device. The technician can access the World Wide Web 201 throughthe internet, a local area network, or other methods known in the art.Once the technician has access to the World Wide Web, he proceeds toupload all information from the device to a remote storage medium 202.The information may be transferred through a secure, encryptedtransmission so as to protect the confidentiality of the information.Additionally, the information may be converted to formatted data filesprior to transmission for ease of storage and transfer. The informationtransferred contains information regarding the user's preferences andsettings and the user's overall equipment configuration. Once theinformation has been uploaded by the technician, the technician canerase all data 203 residing on the device. The device may then bedisposed of without further activity.

The same or a new technician can then install the information on the newdevice. The technician will proceed by first accessing the World WideWeb 210 to access the remote storage medium on which the user'sinformation is stored. The information may be stored on the remotestorage medium in a database, such as a relational database. Inaddition, the technician will next download all information relating tothe user from the remote storage medium 211. This process may include,for example, a filter so that unwanted or redundant files will not betransferred. Once the information has been downloaded to the new devicethe system can automatically update user settings and preferences 212.

The improved process described in FIG. 2 has a number of advantages overthe prior art. For example, the transfer of information occurs rapidlyso that the transfer of data to the new device can occur on a real timebasis. In addition, because the information is held in electronic form,a wide variety of reports can be generated relating to the informationresident on the user's computer. Also, because software is beinginstalled electronically, a means exists for monitoring, updating andcontrolling versions of software resident on the device. Another benefitis the ability to translate information being transmitted betweendevices into a common language.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that certaininformation regarding a user's settings, preferences or equipment maynot be included within the information transmitted to the remote storagemedium and therefore may not be available to update the new device. Insuch cases, it is anticipated that, as part of the present invention, acombination of the foregoing Web-based asset management and traditionaltechniques for updating user's settings, preferences and equipment listwould be used. For example, when information is downloaded from theremote storage medium 211, a method may be employed whereby the deviceassesses what information it requires has not been downloaded.Thereafter, the device would be programmed to prompt the user to providesuch information.

A system for Web-based asset management is shown in FIG. 3. The systempreferably comprises an original device 301, a remote storage medium 302and a new device 303. The original device 301 and the new device 303both have access to the World Wide Web. The system described hereinprovides a means for transferring information from the original devicethrough the World Wide Web to a remote storage medium 310. In addition,the system provides a means 311 for transferring information from theremote storage medium to a new device through the World Wide Web. As hasbeen previously described, the transfer of information from the originaldevice through the remote storage medium to the new device is completedonce the user's preferences and profile settings have been completed.

FIG. 4 depicts a meeting display showing how a technician may beprompted to input information regarding the location in which theequipment exists. Basic information is included on the form such as, forexample, site contact and phone number, language predominantly spoken atthe site, and the name of the representative who performed the survey.The input of this information provides a valuable resource within theoverall method and system because future users can refer back to theinformation when subsequent visits are planned.

FIG. 5 presents a screen display showing how a technician may beprompted to input information regarding the device's user. Theinformation to be input will include such information as first name,last name, user ID and email address. This information can be used bythe system for validating the user's name and access authority.

FIG. 6 depicts a screen display that may be accessed by the technicianfor the purpose of inputting legacy asset information. The screendisplay prompts the technician to input such information as the assettype, manufacturer, model, serial number and peripherals. Thisinformation is critical to the system for the future configuration ofthe user's devices.

FIG. 7 shows a screen display that may be used to prompt a technician toinput information regarding the existing applications on a user'sdevice. The display will first prompt a technician to input a user nameand the machine name. The program will then automatically discover theapplications on the device, a procedure which is known in the art. Oncethe information is obtained, it is combined with the user name andmachine name previously entered.

FIG. 8 provides a depiction of a screen display in which a technicianmay be prompted to input information regarding the new asset.Information that may be requested includes the scheduled installationdate, the new asset source, the new work station type and the locationof the new asset.

1. A method for asset management utilizing the World Wide Web, themethod comprising: receiving information from at least one firstcomputer-related hardware device through the World Wide Web at a storagemedium that is remote from the first computer-related hardware device;transferring the information from the storage medium to a secondcomputer-related hardware device; and defining configuration settings onthe second computer-related hardware device based on the informationfrom the at least one first computer-related hardware device. 2-11.(canceled)
 12. A system for asset management utilizing the World WideWeb, the system comprising: a first computer-related hardware deviceassociated with a user, the first computer-related hardware device beingconfigured to access the World Wide Web; at least one secondcomputer-related hardware device configured to be associated with theuser and to access the World Wide Web; means for transferringinformation from the first computer-related hardware device through theWorld Wide Web to a remote storage medium; means for transferring atleast a portion of the information from the remote storage medium to theat least one second computer-related hardware device; and means fordefining user settings on the at least one second computer-relatedhardware device based on at least a portion of the information from thefirst computer-related hardware device.
 13. The system of claim 12,wherein the first computer-related hardware device is selected from thegroup consisting of desktop computers, laptop computers, handheldcomputers, printers, scanners, networking devices and storage devices.14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first computer-related hardwaredevice and the at least one second computer-related hardware device areconfigured to access the World Wide Web over the Internet. 15.(canceled)
 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the firstcomputer-related hardware device and the at least one secondcomputer-related hardware device are configured to access the World WideWeb through a local area network.
 17. The system of claim 12, whereinthe means for transferring information further comprises means forconverting the information to formatted data files prior to transferringthe information from the first computer-related hardware device throughthe World Wide Web to the remote storage medium.
 18. The system of claim12, wherein the remote storage medium comprises a relational databaseconfigured to store said information.
 19. The system of claim 12,wherein said means for defining user settings on the at least one secondcomputer-related hardware device occurs on a real-time basis.
 20. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the system further includes means forgenerating a report of the information after the user settings on the atleast one second computer-related hardware device have been defined. 21.The system of claim 12, wherein the means for transferring informationfrom the first computer-related hardware device through the World WideWeb to the remote storage medium includes means for filtering unwantedor redundant information.
 22. The system of claim 12, wherein the meansfor defining includes means for assessing whether any of the usersettings were not specified by the information.
 23. The system of claim22, wherein the means for defining includes means for prompting a userto define at least one user setting that is not specified by theinformation, in response to determining that at least one of the usersettings is not specified by the information.
 24. A method for assetmanagement using the World Wide Web, the method comprising: receivingrespective information regarding a plurality of computer-relatedhardware devices at a storage medium that is remote from the pluralityof computer-related hardware devices; deriving respective furtherinformation related to the plurality of computer-related hardwaredevices from the respective information residing on the storage medium;and defining configuration settings on at least one furthercomputer-related hardware device that is to be associated with a userbased on the respective information or the respective furtherinformation from at least one of the plurality of computer-relatedhardware devices.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein receivingrespective information includes receiving the respective informationfrom the plurality of computer-related hardware devices that areselected from the group consisting of: desktop computers, laptopcomputers, handheld computers, printers, scanners, networking devicesand storage devices.
 26. The method of claim 24, further comprisingpreparing and disseminating reports compiled from the respective furtherinformation.
 27. The method of claim 24, further comprising transferringthe respective information or the respective further information fromthe storage medium to the at least one further computer-related hardwaredevice.
 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising converting therespective information or the respective further information toformatted data files prior to transferring the respective information orthe respective further information to the at least one furthercomputer-related hardware device.
 29. The method of claim 24, furthercomprising storing the respective information or the respective furtherinformation on the storage medium in a relational database.
 30. Themethod of claim 24, further comprising receiving updates to therespective information on a real-time basis.
 31. The method of claim 24,further comprising filtering at least a portion of the respectiveinformation or the respective further information.
 32. (canceled)